IT help desk template guide

This article guides you through how to implement the IT helpdesk template.

Jump to the setup instructions

How this workflow works

Help your team get answers to straightforward questions with AI, collaborate on the tickets that need a human touch, then update your knowledge source. Your team will get responses faster, and you'll feel confident nothing has fallen through the cracks.

Products, by Zapier tools, and apps used

Tip

This template is a great starting point, but you can customize the workflow —adjusting triggers, actions, apps, or conditional logic—to suit your specific needs.

Requirements

To use this template, you must have:

Learn more about Zapier plans.

Step by step instructions

Before you start

Before you start setting up this workflow, you should:

• Set Up Your Slack
  • Add a #helpdesk channel to Slack: This is where team members will go to ask questions.
  • Add custom priority emojis: This workflow uses several emojis. You can download pre-made emojis or swap in the emojis that work best for your team.
• Select Your Ticket Management App
  • Decide on your task management system: This is where you’ll handle and record tickets. This template offers options for Jira and ClickUp, but you can easily swap in any app supported by Zapier.
• Use the Automated Setup Kit
  • Go to the automated setup kit in the Canvas and follow the instructions. This pre-populates message templates and priorities that you can then customize.

Set up your workflow

Once you have the template in your account you’ll be directed to its Canvas, where you will find everything you need. 

To activate this workflow, follow these steps:

• Add your frequently asked questions (FAQs)
  • (Optional) Add your FAQ to the FAQ knowledge source table: Fill it with answers to your most commonly asked questions. This will form the foundation of your chatbot’s knowledge source.
  • Note: This doesn’t need to cover everything — the FAQ knowledge source is designed to expand and improve automatically over time.
• Customize your task priority levels
  • Customize priority levels in the request priority table: Ensure the request priority table reflects the priority levels used in your task management app.
• Set up your chatbot
  • Add custom knowledge sources: You can add publicly available webpages, files, or additional tables for it to reference in your Helpdesk chatbot.
  • Set your sync schedule to daily: This determines how often your chatbot will bring in new information from your knowledge source.
• Set up the Zaps in the workflow building blocks section
  • Set up “Fetch priority options” Zap. Because it’s referenced throughout this workflow, this will ensure that it’s easily referenced as you build.
• Configure the rest of your Zaps
  • Navigate to each Zap on the Canvas and follow the setup instructions.

How to edit each Zapier product

To edit steps, click the arrow icon. This will open a new window with the Zapier product for you to edit.

Tip

Click View Note on each associated step to view detailed information. These notes provide an overview of the step’s function and include specific instructions on how to set it up.

Tip

You can come back to your template any time to continue working on it. It will be available from the Canvas home.

Test your workflow

Try different real-life scenarios to make sure everything is working smoothly. Here are a few to get you started:

• React with an emoji to indicate that your question was answered.
• Ask questions with varying priority levels.
• Confirm that questions appear in your task management app.

Learn more about:

• Testing Zap steps.
• Improving chatbot answers

Once your testing is complete, your IT helpdesk workflow will be ready to use!

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues while setting up your template, refer to the following resources for troubleshooting steps:

• Troubleshoot Zaps
• Troubleshoot Zapier Tables
• Troubleshoot Chatbots